[3-Minute Novel] Retying the Red String | While Bewildered - Arashi

After school in October, in a classroom dyed orange by the setting sun, I heard those words.

"I heard Yui-chan has a crush on someone. Have you heard? I thought for sure Yui-chan liked you, though."

Those words, casually tossed out by our mutual friend Takumi, pierced coldly into the depths of my chest. Yui was my childhood friend, and our relationship was that of "best friends."

We would go home together after school, complain about entrance exams, and laugh at silly things. That was our normal, everyday life.

(...If she likes someone else, I'm just in the way, aren't I?)

Once I started thinking that, I couldn't look Yui in the face anymore.
I stopped walking home with her, brushed off her attempts to talk to me, and looked away. Yui was confused at first, but gradually she started showing a hurt expression, and eventually, she began avoiding me too.

(This is for the best. If Yui is going to be happy.)

Telling myself that, I spent the winter without any conversation, and before I knew it, the day of graduation arrived.

After the ceremony, amidst the commotion of people passing around albums and writing messages to each other throughout the classroom, I stood apart from the group.

"Here, take this."

Suddenly, Takumi handed me a graduation album. On the name tag on the cover was Yui's name.

"Write in it. You have something you want to tell her, right?"

My heart leaped at Takumi's direct gaze. Once we graduated, we might never see each other again. My hands trembled with confusion, but I made up my mind, gripped the pen, and quietly wrote on the edge of the page.

"I've always loved you. Thank you for everything. Sota"

"Thanks," I said, returning the album to Takumi, who then walked off with it toward Yui, who was in the crowd.

I couldn't stay there any longer, so I left through the school gate as if running away and started walking down the path to school.

"Sota...! Sota, wait!"

Footsteps running from behind and a breathless shout. When I turned around, Yui was standing there, clutching the album tightly. Her eyes were a little red.

"...What is this? What does this mean...!?"

On the edge of the page Yui had opened was the message I had written.

"It means exactly what it says.... I've always loved you, Yui. But... I heard you liked someone else. I wanted you to be happy, so I stepped aside. I thought I would be in the way if I stayed with you..."

As I confessed in a pathetic voice, Yui's eyes widened, and then she began to shed tears.

"You idiot...! You're such an idiot, Sota...!"
"Eh...?"
"There's no way you'd be in the way! Everyone kept teasing me, asking 'Do you like Sota?', and I was just too embarrassed to answer...! When you suddenly started avoiding me, I thought you hated me!"

Yui wiped her tears with her sleeve and glared at me with a bright red face.

"The one I like is... Sota, from the very beginning!"

The fog in my head cleared all at once. The reason we had been passing each other by was because of our "bewilderment" from caring about each other too much.

"...Is that so... I see, I'm glad."

I felt my face getting hot, feeling both pathetic and happy. Yui was also wiping her tears, looking away shyly.

"...I won't erase what you wrote."
"Yeah. ...I won't run away anymore."

I gripped the hand Yui gently reached out, feeling a little nervous. Feeling the warmth, we looked at each other and smiled shyly.

The spring breeze blew through, and the cherry blossom buds swayed.
We took a long way around, but I squeezed our joined hands and we started walking down the spring path side by side.